


But you came

by Ancalima



Series: Safe here [13]
Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Family, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 16:43:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7722175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ancalima/pseuds/Ancalima
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kanan deals with the aftermath of his capture and his Padawan's frazzled emotions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> And with this I have offically watched all of season one, hurray! Now I have moved far into the second one and you will all HATE me for the next chapter and I can't wait for it mwuahahaha! ...No really, you guys are gonna hate me for it, I am going to adore the angst and become the strongest sith queen to ever rise. All the suffering! So enjoy this fluff while ya can

Kanan frowned, sitting up slowly. He'd felt...something.

Slowly he pushed himself out of his body, reaching out to the people in the Ghost, brushing against Hera first, Sabine, Zeb and...there. Ezra.

Ezra was not in his bunk. 

A gentle, hesitant tap on his shield made him follow it to the galley, showing him exactly where the teenager was. The padawan had felt his master search out and had responded so not to cause any panic, though his touch had been hesitant.

Kanan got up carefully, still feeling tender from his stint with the Inquisitor and the battle.

Slowly he made his way to the galley where Ezra was standing, holding onto a cup of something smoking. “Hey...aren't you suppose to be asleep? The burns bothering you?” Kanan asked quietly, slowly sitting down beside the teen.

“...No, Hera put bacta on them...just...couldn't I guess.” He shrugged, blue eyes tracing how gingerly Kanan moved. A spike of anger went through the bond and Kanan looked at Ezra quickly.

“...Okay, talk to me. What's going on?” He frowned a bit, worried about his padawan.

Ezra looked down, frowning into the cup.

“Ez-”

“They didn't come to save you.” Ezra's tone held a note of fury and sadness. “They were going to abandon you to the Inquisitor, to the Empire.” He tightened his grip on his cup, a slight tremor going through his entire body and through the Force. “They were going to let you die.”

Kanan blinked. “Ezra...”

“How could they? You've done so much for everyone on Lothal. And they were willing to sacrifice you. Its not fair, they shouldn't have made that call and Hera was going to go along with it, with their orders.” He gritted his teeth, struggling against his own thoughts.

Kanan took a deep breath. “...No...Perhaps not. But you came. You all came.”

“We wouldn't have if I hadn't gone to Vizago, we wouldn't have known where to look or what to do.” Ezra stared into the cup.

“But you did. You went. You got the information needed and you acted. And you struck a blow against the Empire.”

“Yeah and got Tarkin town burned with everyone there in the Empire's custody.” Ezra looked away, frowning bitterly. 

“...Yes...we...they know us now. They know what we are and who we are. Every action we take has a reaction on the opposite side. We need to think about that every time we do a run now.” Kanan sighed.

“...They still had no right to deny us the right to rescue you... and they only came because I went in there. You heard her, Ahsoka, they came because I went in and because my voice was the one on the transmission that got people talking.” Another spike of fury went through the Force.

“She came bec-”

“Because if the Empire snuffed me out people would stop talking again.” Ezra looked at Kanan, face twisted in righteous anger and fear. “But I wouldn't have spoken out if it wasn't for you, for the Ghost crew. I wouldn't BE here if it wasn't for you all and they can't just throw you away like...like...”

Ezra hiccuped and Kanan reached out, dragging the teen into his arms, cupping him tightly, the cup abandoned on the table as Ezra dug his fingers into the fabric of Kanan's shirt.

“...They can't abandon you, they can't throw you away like you don't matter. I won't let them.” He whispered against the green fabric. 

“I'm not leaving you Ezra.” He squeezed the teens shoulders, reaching out soothingly against the frazzled sense that was Ezra's Force. 

“That's not wh-”

“Ezra...”

“...You already did once though...” 

“Not willingly. I won't leave you willingly Ezra. If anyone is taking me, they're going to meet a fight on the way.” Kanan reached down and cupped Ezra's chin, forcing the other to look up at him, staring into eyes so blue they looked like a bottomless ocean.

“...You promise?” Ezra swallowed, staring back at the man who had taken him in, given him purpose and training.

Who had given him what Ezra had needed more then anything else in the the whole galaxy.

A family.

“I give you my word Ezra. If they want to take a victory against us, against me, they'll have to drag me kicking and screaming away from you and this crew. This family.” He said firmly before tucking Ezra right back against his chest. 

“I'm not leaving you Ezra as long as you need me, I am NOT leaving.”

“...Okay...” Ezra whispered, closing his eyes, taking a deep breath through his nose.

Kanan looked up and gave a slight nod to where Hera was standing, the pilot nodding gently in return before leaving the two to their own, trusting Kanan to settle the deep rooted fears Ezra was screaming out at a world that wouldn't listen.

But they would listen.

The Ghost crew would listen to the screams and they would always come and sooth them. 

Nothing could stop that.


	2. But you came (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite the inital glee, Ezra has some lingering anger at the Rebellion. For nothing is more important to him then the family he has made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone (and they know who they are!), asked about Ezra having lingering backthoughts about how the Rebellion left Kanan in the Empire's hands, so instead of my horrible angsty chapter that I was going to update in, you get this! Enjoy!

“We send them here and here.” Ezra looked up at Ahsoka, blue eyes tracking her every moment even as she directed the ships along with Commander Sato. “And this system is in need of medical supplies thanks to the blockade of the Empire.” 

He noted her looking up and glancing at Kanan, opening her mouth only to quickly look at Ezra when the young padawan moved to his Master's side, the teen touching the others arm to get his attention. “Kanan, could you go over that lighsaber form with me again, I think I almost got it now.”

“Again Ezra?” Kanan sighed before smiling and nodding. “Well, I'm gad you're taking your studies seriously at least. Alright, to the Ghost bay, we'll try again.”

She watched them go then let out a deep sigh, glancing to where Hera was standing, arms loosely crossed over her chest. The Twi'lek shrugged awkwardly, she knew exactly what Ezra was doing but was in no position to stop the teen, not at the moment at least.

“He's angry. I...he'll get over it?” She tried awkwardly to find something to say.

“He may, eventually. But we have to send Kanan out on missions soon.” Ahsoka straightened, staring at her. “He needs to understand that this is not just about one cell anymore.”

“...He knows that. But he's not going to let any of you close to send Kanan out, not yet. Ezra is like many of us, experiencing the loss the Empire bought but...he thought better about us. About the Rebellion.” Hera hesitated, glancing at where Sato was standing, a eyebrow raised at the two females.

“...Ezra lost his parents to the Empire, he lost the safety a family and home provides, we...the Ghost crew we became what he had lost. We...reminded him about what he could fight for because for so long he had no one and looked out only for himself. And...we abandoned Kanan. You told us not to rescue him, didn't give us the chance, the option, the choice. And I agreed.” Hera sighed, tightening her arms around herself.

She knew it had been the right choice, strategic it was the right choice.

But it hadn't been the right choice in her heart.

“...He lost enough. He lost enough for ages. He wasn't about to lose Kanan. He'd do what he did again and...I'd help him again. I know that is not what you want to hear but that's the truth.” She peered at them with her green eyes. “...We're family, mismatched, damaged, hurt and limping, we pull each other along slowly when another falls behind. I'm sorry but I right there with him...I can't help you. Not with Ezra and his anger or his protective instincts.” She moved towards the doors too, stopping before turning. “If you want, I could get Ezra to talk to you? If you manage to talk to him... perhaps you could resolve something Ashoka.” She slipped out.

()()()()()

Ezra shifted and slowly climbed down his ladder, being careful not to wake Zeb as he did, barefoot feet making no noise as he slid out of his room and moved down the hall, stopping by Kanan's room and sliding down the wall, running a hand through his sleep tussled hair.

'In through the nose, out through the mouth...and reach.' He thought, eyes going soft focused as he reached out towards the living being that was Kanan, reaching to sooth a damaged and hurting soul.

He could tell that the other was aching, the Jedi hiding all his pain underneath his bluster and sarcastic wit.

But he couldn't hide from Ezra. 

Not with the bond they had. 

So the teen sat and listened with his mind, his focus set on his master. Ezra couldn't do much for the body, the body was something that needed to heal on hits own but he could reach out to the soul while Kanan dreamed, his sleep undisturbed thanks to Ezra.

And in return Ezra felt his own frazzled nerves settling, helping sooth him as he listened to Kanan's Force, the sensation like a small waterfall in his mind. 

If he hadn't been so connected to the Force he might not have noticed the quiet being slipping onto the Ghost. But he was, instantly recognizing the presence as he got up, his eyes no longer faded away as he moved to intercept the person before they reached the cabins.

He slipped down the ladder quickly and stood there, barring the way as she came into view.

“Lady Tano.” He murmured shortly.

“Please Ezra, I've asked you to call me Ahsoka.” She smiled at him only to be meet with Ezra's narrowed eyes. She sighed inwardly at the suspicious young eyes. Kids was always the most naive to the wars that were fought.

“I don't like where your thoughts are going. I've seen enough of the Empire and I don't like your train of thought.” Ezra said sharply, hands clenching on the ladder. She looked at him in surprise. “You...must be strong in the Force if you can sense that much of my thoughts.”

“You don't survive the streets being naive. If I had been naive I would have been dead or worse.” Ezra was puffing himself up like a angry Lothcat.

And perhaps that was just what he was. One angry little Lothcat, ready to defend its little family.

“You almost tore my family apart.” Ezra's knuckles were turning white on the ladder at the force he was putting on it.

“The Em-”

“The Empire took him. The Inquisitor. But you denied us the chance to save him. You and the Rebellion refused us. And you got Hera to go along with it. You made us splinter and we could have lost one of ours. We might be a cell to you.” Ezra's sapphire blue eyes sparkled in the dark, the light from the hall over the ladder shining down on his hair. “But to me we're a family. And I'm not letting anyone take that away from me again. They'd go through me before that.”

There was a disturbing silence.

“...You're very brave to talk like that. I remember a time when I had people I cared for like that, now I lead a Rebellion and there are always difficult choices to be made.” Ahsoka started carefully. 

“The Empire takes all.” Ezra cut in. “The Empire takes your family, your friends, they take your livelihood, your home and your freedom.” His hand slowly eased the grip he had on the ladder as he turned to fully face her.

“The Rebellion is not taking what happiness I managed to find from me. The next time you or Commander Sato decided that any of the Ghost crew is disposable, I won't be held accountable for what happens.”

“Are you threatening the Rebellion?” She tensed.

“No. But I will take what's left of my family and you will NEVER see or hear from them again. I won't let them be in harms way by the Rebellion, we'll go back to what we did before, hit and runs and helping those who need us. That's a promise.” The teen stood in front of her, courageous, strong and firm in his opinion. 

And truthful.

If they were ever to discard any member of this crew, Ezra Bridger would stand up to his word and take his family away to keep them safe. She had a feeling they would listen to the teenager too if he spoke as passionately then as he did now. 

“..I understand. You're not going to let us send Kanan out for a few more days are you?” She asked softly, stepping to the teenager who peered up at her before shaking his head. “He was hurt. He's still hurting. If you think I'm going to just stand and watch you guys send him any where, you're dead wrong.”

“The medical droids says he's healing fine.”

“A medical droid doesn't have a bond and doesn't feel him.” Ezra glared at her, challenging.

Ahsoka didn't rise to it. Instead she gently placed a hand on Ezra's shoulder, smiling at his suddenly confused face.

“Your master is lucky to have you Ezra. You're a brave young man.” She placed her other hand on the opposite shoulder, peering at the scar on his face. “Facing the dangers for those you care for, not letting those you love fall to despair despite the pain it brings to you...” 

Ezra flushed, looking down instead of at her, feeling a bit ashamed of how venomous he had been towards her. 

“I will not schedule Kanan for any missions just yet. On your request.” She added.

“...Thank you. Don't tell Kanan though? I mean...he likes to pretend he's alright...”

Ahsoka smiled a bit. 'Like master like padawan...' Then she nodded. “Of course. If he asks I will tell him I believe you require his full attention for now.”

She stepped back and gave Ezra a little bow before walking away back to Phoenix home.

“...Ahsoka?” She glanced back in surprise, watching the teen by the ladder.

“...Thank you, for coming I mean, for coming to save us.” He smiled a tiny bit, warmth in those blue eyes glowing at Ahsoka, bringing a ray of hope.

“You are welcome Ezra Bridger.”


End file.
